Garment-clasp.



F. L. LANGHAMMER.

GARMENT CLASP.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19. 1917.

11,266,960, Patented May 21,1918.

314-1112 Mfoz Enid Z.Zan ghammerf FFTC FRANK L. LANGHAMMER, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

GARMENT-CLASP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1918.

Application filed June 19, 1917. Serial No, 175,623.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK L. LANGHAM- MER, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Bridgeport, county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Garment-Clasps; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in garment clasps, and it has for an object to provide a clasp having no projecting parts to annoy the wearer or to injure his apparel, the improved clasp lying fiat when in operative position.

The invention consists in the features of construction and the arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein- Figure 1 is an elevation of a hose supporter showing the invention embodied therein;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the improved clasp, said view being taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, is a detailed elevation of the female part of the clasp; and

Fig. 4: is a similar view of the male part of the clasp.

The clasp is here depicted on a hose supporter 1 of the garter type and consists of a male part 2, which is formed with an eye 3 for the stitching 1, or other means of securement, for fastening the aforesaid part to one end of the garter, preferably the pad end, and a female part 5 also having an eye 6 through which is threaded the elastic end of the supporter, all of which is well known.

The male part comprises the eye 3 and a laterally extending win which is divided by a pair of slots 7, that diverge from a point adjacent the eye, into two side base portions 8 and an intermediate head 9 more or less of triangular shape. The head is elevated or raised from the plane of the body, as defined by the edges of the eye and the free edge 10 which closes the outer ends of said slots, and the side base portions 8 are depressed from the plane of the body to permit entrance through the slots and beneath the head in a horizontal plane or a plane parallel with the plane of the body.

The female part consists of the eye 6 and a laterally extending pair of spaced arms 11 having inwardly directed terminal fingers 12 opposing one another and defining a T- shaped slot 18 in which the head 9 is received, the fingers 12 passing through the slots 7 and engaging beneath the head 9.

In practical use, the spaced fingers or hook members 12 are straddled over the smaller end of the head 9 and slid toward the larger end, said fingers sliding on the base portions 8 and passing under the head, as depicted in Fig. 1. The arms 11 are deflected downwardly to dispose the fingers 12 out of the plane of the eye 6, such disposition affording an easy interlocking action and causing the adjacent edge of the eye to seat on the free edge of the male part when the two parts are operatively engaged, as shown in Fig. 2. In disengaging the clasp, the female part is slid off the smaller end of the head by riding up the inclined ends 14 of the base portions, where they join the eye 3.

The eye part 3 is formed with a pair of inwardly extending projections 15, for interlocking with the stitching 4 so as to hold the male part from slipping and becoming deranged, and an outwardly extending projection 16 for engaging with the fabric and providing a broad supporting face to resist any action tending to swing the male part backwardly.

The projections 15 are spaced apart, being arranged adjacent the ends of the elongated eye, while the projection 16 is disposed centrally, such arrangement and relation accomplishing the above functions in a very efficient manner.

The side base portions 8 are each formed intermediate its ends, with a hump or keeper 17 over which the terminal fingers l2 ride when the female part is moved to its engaged position, the springy nature of the metal permitting such action. While this keeper 1'? offers no material resistance to the unclasping of the male and female parts, still, suflicient friction is provided to hold said parts against accidental and unauthorized dislodgement. 1

Both parts of the clasp may beeconomically and expeditiously stamped from sheet metal, bent and cut in a single operation, and although it has here been illustrated as applied to a garter, it is obviously capable of various other adaptations and usages, such as fasteners for gloves and various other articles of wearing apparel.

Furthermore, when the female part is interlocked with the head, the body part of the former seats on the free edge 10 of the male body and when in this position is adapted for rocking or swinging movement, one hook member serving as a fulcrum as the other swings slidingly beneath the head and vice versa. Both parts lie fiat and embody no projections to injure either the wearer or his apparel thereby rendering the clasp especially adapted for'a hose supporter.

WVhat is claimed is:

1. In a garment clasp, a male part having a securing eye and a body portion provided with a pair of diverging slots for forming side base portions and an intermediate head, said head being raised and the side base portions being depressed from the plane of the body, the free outer end of the body remaining in the plane of the body, and a female part also having a securing eye and a pair of spaced arms extending laterallythera from, said arms having inwardly directed terminal fingers opposing one another and adapted to straddle the smaller end of the head for being slidably engaged beneath the latter.

'2. Ina garment clasp, a male part having a securing eye and a pair of diverging slots closed at both ends and dividing the body into spaced side base portions and an intermediate head having diverging edges and secured at its smaller and larger ends to the body, and a female part having a securing eye and a pair of spaced inwardly directed hook members adapted to straddle the smaller end of the head and slidably engage beneath the latter.

3. In a garment clasp, a male part having means of securement to an article of wear, said part comprising a body divided by a pair of diverging slots into a central head and spaced side base portions, the head and base portions being extended oppositely from the plane of the body and connected at each end, and a female part having means of securement to an article of wear and comprising spaced arms formed with inwardly directed terminal fingers spaced sufficiently apart to straddle the narrower end of the head for slidably engaging beneath the wider end thereof, said arms being deflected to dispose the fingers from the plane of the body of the female part.

4. In a garment clasp, a male part having mounting means and consisting of a body divided by diverging slots, closed at their ends, into a central head and spaced side base portions, the head and base portions lying out of the plane of the body, and a female part having mounting means and provided with opposing" hook members spaced sufliciently apart to straddle the narrower end of the head and slidably engage beneath the wider end thereof, the hook member being adapted to rock laterally when engaged beneaththe head, and the female part seating on the male part when operatively assembled.

5. In a garment clasp, a male part comprising a body divided by a pair of diverging slots into side base portions and a, central head, the latter connected at each of its ends to the male part, the head being raised from the plane of the body, and a female part having T-shaped slot therein to re ceive the head interlockingly. I

6. In a garment clasp, a male part formed of sheet metal and provided with a raised head connected at each of its ends to the male part and having diverging -edges,and

male part, and a female part, provided with- Tfislot for slidably engaging beneath the 8. In a garment clasp, a male part comprising a body divided by a pair of slots into spaced side base portions and a central head raised above the side portions,-each side base portion having a keeper intermediate its ends, and a female part having inwardly extending fingers for riding over the side base portions and being retained in engagement with .the head by the keepers.

9. In a garment clasp, a male part comprisingqa body divided by a pair of slots into spaced side base portions and a central head raised above the side portions, each side base portion having a keeper bent upwardly between its ends, and a female part slidably engaging beneath the. head and re tained in engagement therewith by the keepers.

10. In a garment clasp, a male part comprising a body divided into a central raised head and relatively depressed side base portions, and a female part comprising spaced armsformed with inwardly directed terminal fingers for slidably engaging the under side of the head, said arms being deflected to dispose the fingers from the plane of the female body part.

FRANK L. LANGH'AMh IER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the -Commissioner. of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

